Advantages of the Cold Air Intake? 2011 Ram 5.7L

for psychological reasons a loud aftermarket air intake can slightly improve fuel economy by causing the driver to slow down

this the the opposite effect to how a very quiet vehicle can cause you to drive 10 or 15 miles per hour faster

do not underestimate how complex air flow is in the intake

the air DOES NOT flow like you imagine water flows

the flow in an intake behaves closer to the gases in a submachine g%n

Aftermarket intakes should be tested against new filters in the original factory intakes, then tested a second time at approximately 10,000 miles of use

there is very questionable behavior when magazines test aftermarket intakes,
especially when money changes hands for advertising in the magazines,
for reprints of the test article bought by the cai manufacturer,
and also when "rent" is paid for the vehicle used in the test

have "significant" air intake designs been created?

yes, they have names like
"water/alcohol injection" and
"turbocharger"

I expect most gains from "cold air intakes" are actually from a design that flows better. A better term may be "high flow intake" as the factory ones are often compromises in cost, noise, packaging... I think the main reason they grab air from the fender is it is cooler and quieter but the hole is often smaller than the throttle body. The fender probably does not have as much air pressure building in it going down the highway as under the hood so there is probably a small gain from that. The factory likes accordions for convenience both on install and design and they don't tend to flow as well as a smooth wall tube.

I have a K&N short ram intake on my 14 Challenger R/T. I also have a OBD2 bluetooth adapter that I use with the Torque app on my phone. I did a test of before the K&N and after, and the results were pretty close. On the highway, both air filters pulled air in that ranged from 2 to 5 degrees higher than the ambient air temperature. While sitting at a red light, or in traffic, the short ram did reach higher temperatures compared to the stock box. As far as airflow, you can tell the difference. The car pulls harder at higher rpms, where the stock box was restrictive. If living in areas where you have lots of traffic, I would actually get a cai that connects to the hole in the fender similar to a stock box. As far as HP gains manufacturer's claim, I think you might get that much of an improvement on a good day, with nice cool air, with the vehicle at proper running temp.

As far as the oil goes, I have heard people say that for years. I have used K&N filters since my first car, and I have put them in my parents vehicles also. As long as you oil the filter like you are supposed to, and let it dry a few hours before re-installing, you should have no issues. If you are heavy handed on the oil, you could have issues. Some people often think they know better than the directions...

I've had a K&N setup on my 97 5.2 Dakota for over 260,000 miles and have never had any problems with the MAP or TB or anything else. Get around 20mpg hwy. and 16 city.
The biggest gain is with a smooth tube versa a rippled one.